Thread-cutting mechanism for automatic looms.



D. M. HOLLINS. THREAD cu'r'rmu MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. .21, 1911.

1,018,496. Patnted Feb. 27, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c o.. WASHINGTON. Bic.

-D. M. HOLLINS.

THREAD OUTTING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC LOOMS. APPLICATION PiLED AUG. 21, 1911.

1,018,496. Patented Feb. 27, 1912. I I mania-sump.

COLUMBIA PLANDCIRAPH cm. WASX'QNIJTDN. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DENIS MACI-IELL HOL-LINS, OF BLACKBURN, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER COM- PANY, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

THREAD-CUTTING MECHANISM FOR, AUTOMATIC LOOMS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DENIS MAGI-IELL HOL- LINS, a subject of King George V of Great Britain, residing at Blackburn, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thread-Cutting Mechanism for Automatic Looms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to temple thread cutting mechanism such as is employed in automatic weft replenishing looms for cutting the thread extending from the selvage of the fabric to the weft replenishing mechanism after such mechanism has operated to supply the shuttle with fresh filling, and the object of my present improvements is to provide means whereby the temple thread cutter shall only be operated for a few picks after the change of filling has been made and normally shall remain at rest, whereby the wear and tear of the temple thread cutting mechanism at present occasioned by the actuation of the said mechanism at every forward movement of the lay will be minimized.

In describing my improvements, I shall refer to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a transverse section and part elevation of a portion of an automatic weft replenishing loom, and showing only such parts as are necessary to explain my improvements; Fig. 2 is a front view of a portion of the lay, showing the improved actuator for the temple thread cutter in inoperative position; Fig. 3 is asimilar view to Fig. 1, but it shows the actuator released and just about to take up an operative position; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a temple thread cutter, and a portion of the lay, showing the actuator in operative position and the heel of the movable blade of the thread cutter engaged thereby; Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig. 4 but illustrates a modified form of my improvements which will be hereinafter fully referred to.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the lay of the loom and 2 the breast beam.

3 represents the pivoted shuttle feeler em ployed in the well known Northrop loom to enter the shuttle box prior to filling replenishment taking place, to ascertain if the shuttle has been properly boxed and, in the event of improper positioning of the shuttle,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 21, 1911.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

Serial No. 645,128.

to prevent the operation of the filling replenishing mechanism.

4 represents the usual arm fast on the rock shaft 5 of the filling replenishing mechanism, said arm engaging at its rear end a lug 3 on the shuttle feeler to control the movement of said feeler in the usual and well known way.

6 is a spring retracted arm through a slot in the upper end of which the arm 4 passes, and which acts to normally hold said arm 4 depressed.

7 represents the usual thread cutting temple (see Figs. 4 and 5) carried on the lay, and provided with a fixed cut-ting blade 8 and a movable cutting blade 9, the latter being adapted to catch the end of filling extending from the selvage of the fabric to the filling replenishing mechanism of the loom after said mechanism has been operated to insert a fresh supply of filling into the shuttle. The movable cutting blade 9 has a depending heel 9 which is adapted to. be engaged by an abutment on the lay as the latter approaches front center, to cause said movable cutting blade to be operated to cut the filling between itself and the fixed cutting blade 8.

The above parts are or may be all of the usual and well known construction employed in the Northrop loom, and do not form any part of my present improvements.

Ordinarily, the heel 9' of the movable cut: ting blade 9 of the temple thread cutter has been engaged and operated at every beat up of the lay. This, while being quite unnecessary, entails as will be well understood, a considerable amount of wear and tear of the thread cutting mechanism, and my invention relates to the provision of novel mechanism whereby the movable cutting blade 9 will only be operated for a pre-determined number of picks after each operation of the filling replenishing mechanism. After being operated for such number of picks as may be deemed to be necessary to insure the certain cutting of the filling, the thread cutting mechanism remains stationary and inoperative until the next filling replenishing operation has taken place.

In carrying out my invention, and referring firstly to the embodiment thereof shown on Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, I mount in brackets 10, 10 on the front of the lay 1, and in a position opposite to the movable blade of the temple thread cutter,

a device comprising in this instance a shaft 11 having one side thereof cut away to form an offset bar or actuator 11. The said shaft is adapted to be rotated through part of a circle to cause the actuator to lie against the lay, as shown at Figs. 1, 2 and 3, or to be moved away from the lay and be presented toward the breast beam, as is indicated by the full lines in Fig. 4. Alternatively the actuator may be formed by cutting away one side of a barrel or tube, or by bending a bar in a substantially similar manner to obtain an offset portion, or any equivalent device may be adopted for the purpose. One end of the shaft 11 has secured thereon a ratchet or like toothed wheel or disk 12, and the opposite end of said shaft has a spring 13 confined thereon. One end of the spring 13 is secured'to the acent bearing bracket 10, and the other end thereof is secured to a collar 14lfast on the shaft, so that the spring its ends fast to the pawl and the pther to the shell or sleeve 17 fast on the stud 10 A bracket or finger 18 carried by any convenient part of the weft replenishing mechanism, and in this instance by the spring controlled arm 6, is adapted to lie normally out of the path of the heel 15 of the pawl 15, as shown at Fig. 1, but, on operation of the weft replenishing mechanism, to be positioned opposite the pawl as shown at Fig. 3,

so that on the forward movement of the lay the heel of the pawl is engaged by the bracket or finger 18 and the pawl disengaged from the teeth of the ratchet 12, as shown at Fig. 3

3. Adog or latch 19 adjustably carried by a bracket 20 secured on the breast beam in a position opposite the ratchet or toothed disk 12 rides idly on the dwell or blank portion 12 of the ratchet oneach forward beat of the lay solong as the actuatoroccupies the normal position shown in Fig. 1, the actuator being held in this position by the pawl 15 against the action of the coiled 1 spring 13. lVhen, however, the actuator is i moved by said spring on release of the pawl, to operative position, the dog or latch 19 will engage the ratchet at each forward beat 3 ofthe lay and will move it the distance of one tooth at a time until the dwell portion is again presented. r p t From the above descr1pt1on,'1n connection with the drawings, theactionof the mechanism will be readily understood and "is as:

follows :So long as the loom is running normally, the actuator 11 is maintained close to the lay or in the position shown at Figs. 1 and 3 and in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and therefore cannot engage the heel 9' of the movable cutting blade 9 of the temple thread cutter on the forward beat of the lay. (See Fig. '41.) lVhen the weft replenishing mechanism is put into operation on the detection of substantial exhaustion of filling in the shuttle, the bracket or finger 18 is caused to move upwardly and to be positioned in the path of the heel 15 of the pawl 15. As the lay reaches the forward position, the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet as shown at Fig. 3, and on the lay commencing to move backward the coiled spring 13 causes the shaft 11 to be partly rotated to move the actuator from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 to the position shown in full lines in said figure, the bracket 18 holding the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet sufficiently long to enable said ratchet to clear the dog or latch 19 as the lay moves back, and the actuator to be rotated before the pawl is released and takes hold of the ratchet again. In the operative position to which it has thus been moved, the actuator will engage the heel 9 of the movable cutting blade on the next forward movement of the lay and will operate said blade to cut the filling extending from the selvage of the fabric to the weft replenishing mechanism. The blank or dwell portion of the ratchet having, however, been removed from opposite the dog or latch 19 by the rotation of the actuator to its forward position, the said dog or latch will at each forward movement of the lay, engage the ratchet and move it the distance of a tooth at a time, thus gradually rotating the actuator back in the direction of the arrow B, Fig. 1, until it again occupies its normal position shown by dotted lines in said figure. The number of picks during which the cutter is operated after each filling replenishing operation will be determined by the number of teeth the ratchet mustbe moved to return the actuator from its front or operative position to a point so near its rear or normal position that it ceases to engage the heel of the movable cutter blade on the lay making its-forward movement, and this can be arranged to occupy as many picks as is deemed essential to insure severance of the filling. The pawl 15 engages the ratchet after each movement by the dog or latch 19 and when the actuator has reached its normal position the pawl holds the ratchet until the operation of the weft replenishing mechanism causes it to be released.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the object of the invention can be achieved by mounting the ratchet arrangement on the breast beam and causing it to hold the heel of the movable cutting blade 9 clear. of an abutment on the lay until such time as the operation of the weft replenishing mechanism calls for actuation of said cutting blade to sever the filling between the selvage and said mechanism. Such an arrangement is shown at Fig. 5. In this instance the ratchet is carried on the breast beam, and a cord or connection 21 has one end fast to a boss or collar 22 on the shaft on which the ratchet is mounted, and the other end fast to a pin 9 on the heel 9 of the movable cutting blade 9. The ratchet normally occupies the position shown in the figure, with the cord wrapped around the boss or collar 22 and holding the cutter blade closed against the action of its retracting spring 9 so that as the lay comes forward the usual abutment 23 thereon does not actuate the movable cutting blade. On the pawl being released through the operation of the weft replenishing mechanism, as above described, the ratchet will be rotated in the direction of the arrow C and the cord or connection 21 will be slackened, allowing the blade 9 to open and the heel 9 thereof to resume its position in the path of the abutment 23 to be actuated thereby at the next beat up. The setting dog or latch 19 is, in this instance, carried on the lay, and moves the ratchet back tooth by tooth until the parts again occupy the positions shown on the drawing.

The details of construction of the mechanism may be varied with departing from the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a loom, a temple having a threadcutter, an actuating device therefor comprising a member mounted'on the temple, and a second member mounted on a moving part of the loom, and means to control relative movement of said members into and out of position to cooperate with each other, said means comprising a ratchet operatively connected with one of said members, a spring to rotate the ratchet and thereby position such member for cooperation with its fellow, a dog to engage intermittingly the ratchet and rotate it retractively stepby-step for a predetermined number of picks, against the spring to move the connected member out of active position, and a detent pawl to hold the ratchet against spring-induced movement, combined with means to release temporarily the ratchet from control of the detent pawl when filling replenishment is called for, whereby the spring will rotate the ratchet and the connected member of the actuating device will be actively positioned.

2. In a loom provided with automatic filling replenishing mechanism, a threadcutter, an actuator therefor mounted on a moving part of the loom and adapted to at times cooperate with and effect the actuation of the thread-cutter, and mechanism to govern such cooperation, said mechanism comprising a ratchet, a spring to cause operative rotation thereof, and thereby elfect cooperation of the thread-cutter and actuator, a detent pawl to prevent operative rotationof the ratchet, and a dog to effect stepby-step rotation of the ratchet against the spring for a predetermined number of picks following filling replenishment, to return the ratchet to normal position, and thereby throw said thread-cutter and its actuator out of action, combined with means to cause the detent pawl to release tempo rarily the ratchet and permit operative rotation thereof by the spring when filling replenishment is called for.

3. In a loom provided with automatic filling replenishing mechanism, a threadcutter, including a movable blade having a heel, an actuator mounted on a moving part of the loom and adapted to at times engage and move the heel to actuate the thread cutter, and mechanism normally acting to effect cooperation of the actuator and heel, said mechanism comprising a ratchet operatively connected with one of said parts and mounted independently of the thread cutter, a spring to rotate said ratchet in one direction to bring about cooperation of the blade heel and the actuator, a detent to hold the ratchet against spring-induced movement, and a dog to intermittingly engage the ratchet when normally positioned and rotated tooth by tooth for a predetermined number of picks following filling replenishment, to thereby restore the blade heel and actuator to normal, non-cooperative relation, combined with means to release temporarily the ratchet from control of the detent when filling replenishment is called for, spring-induced movement of the ratchet thereby bringing about cooperation of the blade heel and the actuator.

4:. In a loom provided with automatic filling replenishing mechanism a temple having a thread-cutter, an actuator therefor, rotatably mounted on the lay and adapted to at times cooperate with and effect the actuation of the thread-cutter, and mechanism to govern such cooperation, comprising a ratchet connected with said actuator, a spring to rotate the latter into operative position, to effect the actuation of the threadcutter, a detent normally cooperating with the ratchet to prevent rotation of the actuator to operative position, and a dog to effect rotative movement of the ratchet and actuator against the action of the spring for a predetermined number of picks following filling replenishment, to

thereby return the actuator to normal inactive position with respect to the threadcutter, combined with means to release temporarily the ratchet from the control of the detent and thereby permit the spring to rotate the actuator into active position when filling replenishment is called for.

5. In a loom provided with automatic filling replenishing mechanism, a temple having a thread-cutter including a movable blade having a depending heel, a rotatable actuator mounted independently of the temple, a spring to turn the actuator into operative position, a ratchet having a blank portion and fixedly connected with the actuator, a dog movable relatively to the ratchet and adapted to engage intermittingly the teeth of the blank portion thereof, a detent normally cooperating with the ratchet to prevent spring-induced move- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

ment thereof, to actively position the actu- 2O ator, and means rendered operative when filling replenishment is called for to cause the detent to release the ratchet temporarily, the spring thereby moving the actuator into position to engage and operate the heel of 25 the movable cutting blade, said dog there-- after rotating the ratchet tooth by tooth on successive forward beats of the lay to restoretheactuator to inactive position after a predetermined number of picks, such ro- 30 tation of the ratchet ceasing when the blank portionthereof is opposed to the dog.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DENIS MAGHELL HOLLINS. Witnesses:

ESNALD SIMPSON MosELEY, GEORGE WEAVER. 

